Tack-driving implement



No. 6I2,040. Patented Oct. II, I898.

W. T. HOOFNAGLE.

TACK DRIVING IMPLEMENT.

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1896.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet l.

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Patented Oct. II, I898. W. T. HOUFNAGLE.

TACK DRIVING IMPLEMENT.

(Application filed Apr. 6, .1896.)

2 Sheet-8heet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM T. HOOFNAGLE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TACK-DRIVING IMPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,040, dated October11, 1898. Application filed April 6, 1896- $erial No. 586, 7- N m l- Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM T. I-IooFNA-- GLE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Tack-Driving Implements; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of loose tack-drivingimplementsdescribed in my Patout No. 527,985, dated October 23, 1894.

The invention consists in a new means for lifting the tacks from themain reservoir to the feeding-hopper and in an improved tackfeedingslide or brush.

It also consists in other details of construction and combinations ofparts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central section through theimplement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with a part brokenaway to show the spring for operating the tack-lifter in one direction.Fig. 3 is a vertical section at right angles to the view shown in Fig.1, showing the plunger down. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4: ofFig.1, showing the plunger in normal position. Fig. 5 is a section on theline 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 0 is a detail of the tack-lifter. Fig. 7 is adetail of the brush, and Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the brush inforward position with plunger down. 7

A is the handle and framework, with which all the parts of the implementare connected.

B is the tack-driving plunger, operating through the handle part A inthe usual way.

0 is the plunger head or knob, connected with a sleeve or guide D. Thehead is recessed, as shown, and the plunger-stem is coupled with thehead and sleeve by means of a ring or collar 1). When coupled in thisway, the head and sleeve are free to turn around the plunger-stem, whichis held in position by key and spline, and by reason of this freedom ofmovement the plunger-stem is relieved from shocks and strains incidentto twisting blows applied to the head. The plunger is returned to itsnormal position by a spring 1, and the violence of the shock whenreturned is relieved by the cushioningspring 2.

Connected with the plunger-stem is a chain or other suitable belt 3,which leads around a guide-pulley 4 to a second pulley 5, freely mountedon the stud 6. One extremity of this chain or belt is connected throughthe pulley 5 with a reciprocating tack-lifter 7, which serves to lifttacks from the magazine E and discharge them to the hopper F. Theoscillating pulley 5 on stud 6 is operated in one direction to carry thetack-lifter into the magazine by means of a suitable volute spring 8,incased in a barrel.

The tack-lifter is moved in the direction to lift the tacks from themagazine and discharge them to the hopper by the main plunger-liftingspring 1, operating through chain belt The tack-lifterbeing controlledin both of its movements by springs, the jam ming'of tacks is preventedand the chance of breakage of parts is reduced. This tacklifter consistsof a concavo-convex plate having an arm rigidly connected with theoscillating pulley 5 and provided with elevatorbuckets, preferablyserrated to act as hooks and adapted to slide under and grapple a massof tacks. My reciprocating bucket readily slips under the tacks andlifts a su liicient number with little disturbance of the mass of tacks,instead of moving through and agitating the entire mass incident torotary buckets. According to my invention the oscillating tack-liftermoves bodily in the plane of the race and discharges the tacks into thehopper and over the race.

G is the tack-race, built up of plates in the usual way. In order toprevent the points of the tacks from penetrating the seam or jointbetween the plates of the built-up race, I provide a binding or guard 10to prevent the tacks from entering the seam in the raceway andbeingbent.

11 is the head of an improved slide or brush to prevent the tacks fromclogging at the entrance to the covered raceway and to guide the headsof the tacks under the cover 12. This slide is operated by spring 13,connected with vibrating arm 11, normally held in the path of theplunger by spring 14:. The slide (shown in section, Fig. 1, and indetail, Figs.

7 and 8) has a spring-claw 15, having its free end formed with an edgeand its under face inclined, so that when it strikes the end of thecover 12 as the plunger rises it will freely vibrate and rise, as seenin Fig. 1. In the forward movement of the slide when it reaches the endof the cover during the descent of the plunger its inclined edge strikesthe tacks which have not run down the raceway by reason of having beencaught by the cover, knocks them away or brushes them out of its path,and clears the raceway.

I is my new separator and retainer for separating one tack from thecolumn and retaining the column in the raceway while the plunger israised to normal position. This retainer consists of an arm pivotedinside the handle, as shown, having a lateral projection or blade 16 andnormally held across the mouth of the raceway by a spring 17. The arm isadjusted in the path of the plunger and as the plunger is operated theretainer moves away from the raceway and allows a tack to drop intoposition against the plunger. As the plunger rises, but beforeit haspassed the raceway, the retainer moves athwart said raceway andseparates a single tack from the column and retains the rest of thecolumn in position. The retainer is preferably made of bronze or othernon-magnetic metal, so that the efficiency of the magnet may not bedisturbed. In case of obstruction the spring-pressed separator willyield and jamming or straining of the parts incident to positivelyoperated separators is avoided.

K is the magnet opposite the raceway for drawing a single tack intoposition in the plunger-tube. In order to regulate the thrust of theplunger to drive a tack part way home, I connect with the handle orframe of my implement folding wings or plates 18 1S. lly thiscontrivance I am enabled to readily adjust the implement to drive tacksentirely or partially home.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A tack-liftingdevice for tack-driving implements, consisting of the combination of acurved plate or body provided with hooked or toothed buckets, and meansto reciprocate said device in a curved path, substantially as described.

2. In a tack-driving implement, the combination of a partially-coveredraceway, and a slide or brush comprising a spring-claw formed with aninclined working surface to ride over the raceway-cover, and with anedge or acute angle for engaging and carrying tacks backward in theraceway, substantially as described.

3. In a tack-driving implement, the combination of a plunger or driver,an oscillating tack-lifter, and a flexible connection between theplunger and lifter, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a tack lifter, a spring-lifted plunger operativelyconnected with the tack-lifter to raise the lifter for feeding tacks,and a suitable spring, opcratively connected with said lifter to carryit down into the magazine, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a tack-lifter, means for positively operating saidlifter to raise the tacks, and a spring for forcing the lifter under thetacks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

W'ILLIAM T. IIOOFNAGLE. lVitnesses:

CHAS. F. GARRIGUES, E. A. HOFFMAN.

